14-07-2025
On the eve of CM's meeting, Civil society groups warn of ‘anti-Congress' struggle if justice is denied to Devanahalli farmers
On the eve of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's meeting with Devanahalli farmers who are seeking that acquisition of their lands for aerospace park be shelved, progressive organisations upped their ante by warning that if justice is not done to farmers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's 'pro-people' image will be shattered and a sharp wave of 'anti-Congress' struggle will sweep across the State.
Seeking intervention of the Congress high-command and addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, office-bearers of Eddelu Karnataka, that included actor Prakash Raj, said the Congress 'will have to pay a heavy price' if its government takes a stance against the interests of farmers, 'prioritising corporate interests' in the Devanahalli issue.
Launching a tirade against the Congress government, they maintained that the Congress dispensation was no different from the erstwhile BJP government which they said was 'anti-people and indulged in misrule.'
'This public outrage expressed across the State is not solely due to the Devanahalli issue. The Devanahalli struggle has given an organised form to the growing dissatisfaction and anger against the Congress. There are valid reasons for this public outrage to grow,' they said.
They alleged that many civil society organisations that had backed the Congress during the Assembly elections in 2023 were now on a different side.
Pouring out their ire at the Congress government, they accused it of continuing to implement many the 'anti-farmer' legislations that they had opposed when in the opposition, such as Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act (KPSPCA), 2020, among others. It also did not take a decision against the four labour codes introduced by the central government and it even tried to implement the anti-labour decision to increase working hours from 8 to 12 hours a day, they alleged.
They accused the government of failure to protect women and minorities. 'Even after two years in power, it has not repealed the anti-conversion law introduced by the BJP. Even though the marginalised communities were yearning for internal reservation and caste census, it did not take a bold stance,' they said in a release.
The open letter to Mr. Kharge and Mr. Rahul Gandhi was written by Samyukta Horata – Karnataka that comprises a host of progressive organisations.
